Vama,
London SW10
Louise
Elgin eats Himalayan - in Chelsea...
Phew!
Untamed Northwest frontier Cuisine,
eh? Well that's what it says on
the menu. Sounds like we're in
imminent danger of a deadly spice
attack But no! Chef Andy
Vama knows just when to pull
his punches, and his imaginative
use of a wide spectrum of his native
spices is really breathtaking.
One of the most exciting developments
over the past few years, certainly
in London, has been the emergence
of a new kind of Indian destination
restaurant, light years away from
the traditional Anglo-Indian curry
house. Though to be fair there
are many toiling worthily in that
particular vineyard, unsung, sometimes
even abused, as they feed the ravenous
hordes at pub closing time, working
long hours that no English restaurant
workers would put up with.
So,
Indian fine dining, what's it all
about? There are various approaches
- you can go the strictly regional
route, like Vama (North Indian),
La Porte des Indes (Pondicherry),
and Quilon (Kerala). Or you can try
to give tastes of the whole sub-continent
as they do at the Bombay Brasserie,
(in spite of its name). The fusion
route is another trend: the principal
exponent being perhaps the Cinnamon
Club, where French chef Eric Chavot
jazzed up the presentations and hybridised
the ingredients in a somewhat variable
but often creative manner.
Whatever
route is taken, there have to be
certain compromises between cultures.
The Indian way of dining is quite
different - as I understand it, they
do not have the strict demarcations
between courses that we have in the
West. Although that in itself is
a relatively recent fashion: it was
called service a la Russe,
first introduced in Paris by the
Russian Ambassador in 1810.
Vama's dark and softly lit dining room
has an intimate feel, making it a good
choice for a cosy 'tete a tete' or a
romantic dinner 'a deux'. Indian artefacts
and oil paintings create an exotic ambience
whilst waiting staff are well informed
and professional. To begin, there was
a great choice of starters and accompaniments,
for all palates. Unable to decide from
such a plethora of choice, we opted for
one of the 'platters'. These came in
various assortments including a mixed
grill and a vegetarian variety. We decided
on the meat and seafood platter, an opportunity
to taste four of the starters from the
menu. Kali Mirch Ke Tukre, chicken breast
cubed and marinated was wonderfully flavoursome
and delicately spiced. Mahi tikka ajwaini,
cubes of salmon, were succulent and tantalizing.
Rogani champen, tender baby lamb chops
came marinated in yoghurt, and served
with a subtle cheese and garlic paste.
Tandoori jhinga, tiger prawns cured in
a yoghurt base marinade and then roasted
in a tan door left me with wonderful
taste of superb flavours.
To
follow, there was a wide range of
both meat and vegetarian based dishes.
We shared a selection of both, which
came served appealingly in elegant
china bowls. Vama's own version of
chicken tikka marsala, we found adequate
rather than sublime. Adaraki gosht,
cubes of tender lamb marinated in
ginger and coriander was accompanied
by a delicate tomato sauce, which
lingered on the tongue. Matar methi
malai, a house speciality, of pureed
spinach, peas and green fenugreek
leaves, was very well received, as
was our choice of baingen ke tukre,
roasted baby aubergine cooked in
a creamy spicy sauce. Along with
some superior Nan bread and Himalayan
basmati rice, our curries proved
a cacophony of spices, lingering
flavours, and creamy textures.
After
such a feast, I was surprised to
find the puddings could still tempt
me. Nine choices were offered and
we shared a selection of three. Gajjerella,
a very sweet carrot and milk halva,
bright red in appearance yet gentle
on the palate, had a satisfying tang
and came served with a very good
subtle and creamy cardamom ice cream.
Kesrai ras malai, (dumplings), were
sweet and milky despite a rather
rubbery taste and texture. Jamun
special had a smooth exterior giving
over to a soft moist interior, whilst
surrounded by a crisp caramel base,
proving the least sweet option, this,
like so much of the food on offer
here, being imbued with luxury.
Dining
at Vama's is a sensory and pleasurable
experience for body and soul alike.
I think it deserves its awards and
many accolades and, at around £45.00
a head including service, makes it
somewhere to relish and spoil yourselves.
 Louise
Elgin May 2005
Vama
483 King's Road
London SW10
Tel: 020 7565 8500 : www.vama.co.uk
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